Mass Effect: Conversion
by omilly
Summary: *A sequel to Mass Effect 3 - with alternate ending* Commander Shepard's attempt to recover not only after the Reaper War but fifteen years in the Alliance. Long lasting tradition and regulations come into question. (Full of head canons and Shega!)
1. Chapter 1

The rubble covered ground shook as a monstrously huge ship landed, sending a shockwave of vibrations across most of the destroyed city. Raging fires flickered and then regrew quickly as the Reaper landed. Suddenly, a bright ray of light pierced the dark sky, casting an eerie blue shadow across the battlefield. Harbinger and it's enormous sleek body was revealed in the sudden irruption of light. Regaining it's balance, Harbinger let out it's mechanical growl as it scanned the waiting soldiers below.

Fear creeped up Shepard's spine, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It had taken up until this moment for her to _really_ feel afraid. Not just out of tonight - but in all fifteen years of her time in the Alliance, probably in her entire life. Not afraid for herself - well at least not a lot. But for the soldiers all across the city, civilians on Earth, and her comrades. Her chest felt heavy with her last thought, seeming to press down on her lungs making it hard to breathe. She blinked several times, slow and heavy, before looking just behind her.

Her comrades stood, unmoving, breathlessly watching Harbinger begin it's brute attack. Garrus's beady black eyes were hard, and calculating - attempting to figure out a weak spot. But he also looked like he wasn't sure if he should be in awe or be afraid. James on the other hand - this hit home, just like it did for Shepard. His eyes were big, eyebrows furrowed together, shoulders low. His rifle was almost dangling to the ground, scraping against the rubble as he watched the monster destroy his home.

Shepard chewed the inside of her lip, as the crushing feeling came around again. Clenching her hand into a fist, she heard the scratch of metal on metal and her knuckles cracking.

"We've got to move!" Admiral Anderson shouted over another roar from Harbinger, interrupting Shepard as she tried to collect herself.

Whipping her head around, she watched as the Reaper began to charge it's highly destructive beam. Swallowing hard, she yelled to her comrades. "Come on!"

Without checking to see if they were following, Shepard jumped off the edge of the mound of rubble she was standing on. Her ankle rolled painfully in her armor as she landed, causing her to stumble forward. Reaching for her dropped rifle, she began to quickly crawl back to her feet. Suddenly, Shepard felt a hand on her elbow, as James grabbed onto her and helped her up. They both nodded to each other in unison before gripping their rifles a little harder and sprinting forward.

They had barely ran five steps before the beam hit the ground just near them, causing an explosion. Shepard avoided it skillfully, gracefully, swerving around a pile of rubble. Her feet were heavy though, as they hit the ground, sending painful shockwaves up her legs - making her muscles quiver and knees shake.

The beam neared them again. Shepard through up her elbow, protecting her face from the harsh explosion. The side of her shoulder clipped her face, the jagged edge catching her cheekbone. Grunting, she kept on running - listening for the echo of her comrades' steps running behind her.

A sudden shadow began to grow across the ground in front of Shepard. Instinctually she dove forward, sliding underneath a flipping Mako. Frantically rolling on the ground, she scanned for James and Garrus. Her mouth grew in horror as she watched the Mako flip head over tail, until landed on it's back in an abrupt explosion right were they had been standing.

"James!" His name ripped out of Shepard's mouth as she threw herself forward, scrambling to the burning Mako. Stepping onto the back tire, she jumped over the edge, almost falling again as she landed awkwardly on the same ankle.

Garrus was pushing himself off of the ground, rifle still gripped in talons. Other then some scorch marks and torn piece of armor, he seemed fine. Shepard ran up to him, but he waved her away to Vega. Raising her hand, she double checked with him before dashing to James, who was still laying on the ground.

Her breath was frantic as she grabbed onto his arm, pulling him into her. Slouching under the weight, she walked him over to the front of another discarded Mako - before leaning James against it. Shepard kneeled in front of James, running her hands gently over his dented and battered armor. His eyes squeezed shut in pain, as she grabbed his shoulder. He put his head against the cold metal of the Mako, gritting his teeth.

But as soon as James saw Shepard reach to activate the comm, he grabbed her hand. "I'm okay."

She looked down at his hand, wrapped around hers and gave him a sort of sad smile. "Okay. I know." That feeling began to creep up around her chest again, she tried hard to not wheeze. Shepard had felt uneasy about bringing James along, and had even opted to bring Alenko instead. But she knew it was selfish. Hackett needed the best men on the field out here, and James was amongst them. She wasn't going to deprive him of that because of her own selfish desires and fears. But here he was, bruised and battered - attempting to continue on into a most likely suicidal mission. A knot began to form in her stomach now too, realizing the potential fate of James if he stayed on the battlefield.

Garrus suddenly slide in beside them, taking cover too. Shepard took the moment of distraction and reached for her ear piece. Speaking away from her comrades, she said, "Normandy, do you copy?" She paused, noticing Garrus's watchful look out of the corner of her eye. "I need an evac." As she finished speaking, she looked to both of them again. James had his eyes closed again, clutching his shoulder. But Garrus, he was looking Shepard bang in her eyes. He nodded.

A static rang through Shepard's ears, and the scratch of Joker's voice was barely audible. Suddenly, the sound of an incoming ship filled the sky, covering Harbinger's growls and the roaring of its beam briefly. Whipping her head around, she watched as the Normandy landed on the enormous pile of rubble they had all been standing on just moments before.

A sigh of relief escaped Shepard's mouth, as she grabbed onto James. "Come on." The metal of her armor scraped with his as she wrapped her arm around his waist in support. Garrus ran ahead, meeting the soldiers that had begun to travel down the ramp to cover them. Just as Shepard neared the ramp, she found herself looking up at James.

Noticing he looked over to her, his dark eyes studying hers. "I'm sorry." She breathed, almost choking. He blinked at her in confusion.

"Here - take him." Shepard grunted to Garrus, who flashed her a look, before reaching out and grabbing James's elbow - drawing him up the ramp.

"Shepard?!" Anger flashed across his face, his nose wrinkled up, distorting his scar.

"You gotta get out of here." She said, lips pursed and teeth gritted.

"No. Fuck that." His nostrils were flared, eyebrows furrowed.

"James, you are in no condition to fight." She didn't want to plead. And she really didn't want to leave him like this.

"Bullshit!"

"Don't argue with me James." She practically growled at him.

"I can still fight...just...I'm not leaving you behind." Now it was James's who was pleading. His voice hit her hard in the chest, making it hard to breathe again.

She blinked several times, breathing through her nose before she said, "I... I need to know somebody's getting out of this alive."

James looked down, chewing his lip and shaking his head."Shepard, I...," He threw his one free hand up in the air, and gave her a sad look. "Good luck Lola." His voice broke.

Shepard swallowed hard, "You too James."

The rumble of Harbinger's beam snapped her back to reality. Whipping her head back, she watched as the Reaper began to step forward, shaking the ground. "Go!" She pointed her fingers at James, taking him and his outstretched hand in once more before turning away.

Drawing her assault rifle, she clutched it to her chest before taking off again. The sound of the Normandy lifting off behind her was a sweet noise, that was soon replaced by the sound of the Harbinger's beam recharging for another hit. Rolling to avoid another destroyed Mako, Shepard fell to the ground hard. She scrambled forward, her fingers trying to find purchase - but the rumble crumbled in her fingers. The omniscient sound of Harbinger's growl echoed in Shepard's ears, and her vision was filled with a blinding white light.

Pink circles dotted the inside of James's eyelids. He sat there and watched them dance for a moment, before throwing his eyes open. Bright, sterile lights caused his pupils to shrink rapidly, and he was left slightly dazed as his eyes readjusted.

He drew in a ragged breathe as he looked around him. He was in the Normandy's med bay, laying on one of the beds. Moving to get up, he felt a slight tug at his wrist and he looked down to find a thin, clear tube running into it. Squeezing his hand into a fist he watched as the veins in his hand bunched out and turn a deeper blue.

Pushing himself up more carefully this time, he used his elbows to brace himself. A jolt of searing pain went through his shoulder, causing him to cry out. He almost collapsed back into the bed, but the sound of footsteps caused him to bite down on his tongue and push himself up until he was slouching forward.

"Oh, Lieutenant you shouldn't be up." Doctor Chakwas voice echoed throughout the med bay as she rushed through the doors to his bed.

He stared down at his boots, hunching his shoulders forward. "What happened?"

"You dislocated your shoulder, and fractured your femur during the final charge against Harbinger. The Normandy was called for an evac, and now we are stationed just outside the Citadel right now - waiting for Admiral Hackett's next orders." Chakwas didn't look at James while she spoke, checking the IV bag next to his bed.

James closed his eyes, trying to think. He didn't remember a thing. "Who.. who called the evac? I don't remember."

"You suffered some head trauma, so that's not surprising. Commander Shepard did Lieutenant. She got you to the Normandy, before you passed out in the Shuttle Bay from the pain." She moved her eyes to her omni tool now, monitoring James's vital signs.

"Oh fuck." A flash of memories went through his closed eyes, his teeth clenched together as he remembered arguing with Shepard to let him continue fighting. "She's still out there isn't she?"

Chakwas's tender eyes met his finally. The old woman pursed her lips together, nodding.

"_Oh mierda_." James mumbled, a sinking feeling forming in his gut. "Has anyone heard from her-?"

She shook her head before he could even finish his sentence. "I don't know James." It was the first time she hadn't formally addressed him. "I can get Joker on the comm for you, but I need you to lay back down. Please." Her hands had grabbed his forearm gently, pushing him back down.

James obliged, slowly laying back down putting his weight on one side of his body, caressing his injured shoulder.

"I'll let you speak to Joker privately if you want, just don't go any where. I need you to stay put." Chakwas's tone was stern, shaking with a strange authority.

James swallowed, before nodding. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to keep that promise - no matter his condition.

Chakwas let out a sigh, before nodding too. She left without a word, grabbing a datapad before gliding through the sliding doors.

James sat up as soon as he saw the doctor past the window that looked into the med bay. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and hunched forward putting his elbows on his knees. There was a moment of silence, before a familiar voice filled the room.

"Vega?"

"Joker," James almost jumped out of the bed at the sound of his friend's voice. "Talk to me."

Joker's sigh caused the comm to crackle slightly. "James I- I don't know. We are all in the dark right now. I don't like this." His voice was shaking.

"We need to find her Joker." James was glad that he was speaking through the comm and not in person. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to keep it together.

"I know. I know. I want to too but-," A beep interrupted Joker, cutting him off. "Hold on." A long silence filled the med bay, as James waited for Joker to speak again. "I just spoke with Hackett."

"Okay?" James was standing now, leaning up against his bed, clumsily holding onto the IV stand to keep balance. His leg almost buckled under his weight as he listened.

"Admiral Hackett just lost contact with Shepard. He wanted to know if we had could contact her. She's MIA now."

James knuckles turned white as he gripped the IV harder. "Where did he hear from her last?"

"On top of the Citadel Tower." James heard Joker let out a loud breathe through the intercom.

James fumbled with his IV tube, before ripping it out. Stumbling forward, his hands dug through drawers of medical supplies before he found a packet of medi gel. Ripping it open with his teeth, he rubbed some on his wrist and under his shirt as close to his tender shoulder as possible.

"James?" Joker spoke again, waiting for a response.

The medi gel spread a warm feeling across James's upper body, taking the edge off slightly and making his jaw relax from gritting his teeth. Throwing the medi pack on to the floor, he almost blurted out, "Look, I know you won't like this but I need you to get me onto that Citadel." James swallowed, bracing himself for a negative response.

"Done."

James's ears perked up. He didn't think it would be that easy. "Really?"

"Shepard's my best friend. I'm not going leaving her behind. No way." Even though James couldn't see his face, he knew Joker was dead serious.

Moving his hand up, James rubbed his face in relief before running his fingers through his hair.

"I can get you as close to the Citadel as possible, but you're going to have to get down to the Shuttle Bay and get the Hammerhead fired up, okay?" Joker's instructions were quick and clear. Vega was already limping towards the med bay doors before Joker was even done speaking.

"James?" James wasn't sure if it was the comm crackling or Joker's voice breaking. "Good luck."

"Buena suerte Joker." James said, trying to sound as genuine as possible. He couldn't help but feel better to the phrase. Good luck. Out of all the things he was feeling that's what he choked out to her. Maybe it was because he hoped that it wouldn't be his last chance to talk to her.

The med bay doors slide open, and James slipped his head through first to make sure the path to the elevator doors was clear. Limping forward, he gritted his teeth as he avoided putting to much pressure on his supposedly fractured leg. The sound of footsteps behind him caused James to increase his pace. He practically threw himself around the corner and into the elevator, avoiding whoever it was.

James rested his forehead onto the cold, metal surface of one of the elevator walls - giving himself a moment to catch his breath. His fingers gripped his thigh, attempting to relieve some of the pain as he turned towards the console in the elevator. As much as he hated to admit it, he hurt. How he was going to be able to get back into his armor and down to Shepard he wasn't sure. But there wasn't anything or anyone that could stop him. He wasn't going to let her slip away from him. No way. James stretched out one of his arms, trying to reach the console without moving from his place up against the wall.

The elevator jerked down, not riding as smoothly as it usually did. Either way, James let out a sigh of relief - he was almost there. Clenching his fists together he waited in anticipation for the doors to slide open to reveal the shuttle bay.

The sound of the doors sliding open echoed throughout the Shuttle Bay, that was eerily empty. The soldiers that had filled the room before were now deployed. _Probably dea_-. James stopped himself from finishing his thought. "Esteban?" James called out, limping into the familiar room.

There was a sudden clanking of metal on metal, causing James to flinch slightly. Peering around the upgrade table, James saw Steve sliding out from underneath the hammerhead, his dirty hands streaking against the side of it.

"Vega!" Steve scrambled up, meeting James half way. The two clasped hands before pulling each other into a hug. James winced slightly, gritting his teeth. Steve's eyebrows furrowed with concern, before James shook his head at him.

"Esteban I'm fine." James wandered over to his locker, and began pulling out his armor, piece by piece, with one hand. Each one clanked loudly onto the ground as he reached for another. Once they laid in a pile, James began to pull them on, avoiding eye contact with Steve as he struggled.

"You can't go by yourself." Steve began, stopping for a moment when James shook his head again. "I don't care what you say James!"

"You're not stopping me." James growled, moving to meet his Steve face to face, his helmet clutched in his hand.

Cortez swallowed, stepping back first. "Just let me speak. Please."

"I'm listening." His voice was bitter as he turned around, loading up his assault rifle and pistol to his back holsters.

"Kaidan's already in the hammerhead. He'll fly with you. Joker called us on the comm after you. I know you want to do this - I want you to do this. But you can't do it alone. What if Shepard needs medical attention? You can't fly the hammerhead and take care of her, you -"

James interrupted his rant. "Hey, hey Esteban." He grabbed onto Steve's shoulders, before nodding to him. "Thank you. Thank you." They both gave each other fast nods.

The moment was broken as the hammerhead suddenly fired up. "Okay! She'll get us where we need to be - she took a lot of damage before though." Kaidan called out of the sliding doors of the vehicle. "If we are gonna do this Vega, we gotta do it now." He was already in full gear, his omni tool out and ready to go.

James chewed his lips. "Yeah. Okay." His fists were clenched as he climbed on the hammerhead.

"I'm gonna fly if that's okay." Kaidan said, sliding into the pilot's chair. "You're track record ain't too hot." He gave James a cheeky smile, attempting to make him laugh.

James didn't reply. He just stared at the shuttle bay doors, his breath shallow.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

The haze of smoke that had thickened the air on Earth was absent on the Citadel. Though parts of it's sleek walls laid crumbled, there were no raging fires - just remnants of the Reapers quick arrival, the citizens quicker evacuation and now an eerie silence. The abandoned docking bay that Kaidan had cut the hammerhead's power on sent a chill up James' had passed through a large, misshapen hole to get inside the Citadel - most likely from a Reaper armature brutally forcing it's way inside. The crunch of rubble under their feet echoed as they moved deeper into the Citadel into what seemed to be the emergency exit for the Tower.

Kaidan had to jog to keep up with comrade's monstrous steps, even though James was limping. The haunting silence started gnawing at them both, and Kaidan opened his mouth to speak, attempting to fill it. But he slammed his mouth closed as James raised his fist in the air. They both froze, listening. A hum now filled the room, vibrating the loose rubble pieces slightly. Kaidan's eyes flicked over to James - watching him out of the corner of his eye. All of James's instincts were on full alert - his fingers tapped the edge of his assault rifle, eyes wide, knees bent ready to move. Suddenly a bright light flashed overheard through the glass ceiling. Both men instinctively rolled to cover. Kaidan heard James wince as the crouched behind the half-destroyed column. Glancing over, he saw James's clenched jaw and white knuckles wrapped around his leg.

The bright light slowly vanished, allowing darkness to consume their shadows - leaving them with only the faint light from the stars above. Checking over his shoulder first, Kaidan stepped out; staying low. Keeping his biotics charged in one hand, he used the blue glow to direct them as they crept forward in the darkness.

An archway was revealed in the dim, blue light. With a silent nod, they both flanked either side of it before peering in. They were looking at a circular room, complete with glass walls and ceiling with a series of flickering lights on it's edges.

"It's the Council's comm room." Kaidan stepped out of his cover, directly into the room. "This is the heart of the Citadel." He breathed.

James followed him in, checking over his shoulder at the archway over and over. He stopped just in front of a podium, it's hologram screen dim and slowly powering down. He reached his hand over it, reactivating it. The bright light casted an aura around him, and a shimmer on the ground caught his eye.  
He felt his stomach drop as he looked down at a large puddle of sticky blood.

"Oh my god." James stepped out of it, his boots spreading the blood into a smear on the sleek concrete floor. Kaidan whipped around, hearing his comrade's gasp. The glow of his biotics spread more light onto the puddle, revealing a small trail.

Clenching his jaw together, James's lips trembled as he followed the trail. It lead to a now vacant spot, but just to the left sat a blurry figure. Stepping closer he saw black combat boots, causing his heart to almost leap with relief. Shepard had been in her full white N7 armor - it wasn't her. But almost immediately, he lowered his eyes to the ground - not believing his eyes.

"No.." Kaidan's voice was a whisper. James heard the clank of metal, as Kaidan dropped down to his knees next to Admiral Anderson. He was clearly dead - his chest unmoving, hand limply covering the bloody mess on his stomach, and head hanging to the side. But his face looked peaceful.

James moved next to Kaidan, placing a hand on his shoulder. Neither of them said anything, both of their eyes remained on Anderson. In a silent agreement, both men then began to pick the Admiral up. Swallowing James looked away from the body in his hands, praying that all of the blood on the floor was Anderson's. Butt a lingering feeling in his stomach knew that it wasn't.

The two men stumbled slightly from the weight until they found their balance. Moving over the rubble, they took Anderson's body back to the hammerhead - strapping him into the stretcher pushed to the side of one of the shuttle walls. Taking one of the blankets form the emergency kit, Kaidan draped it over the body - covering it.

"Fuck." James breathed, as he fumbled in the dark. He didn't like how this was going, not at all. His fingers tips finally found his flashlight attachment, laying next to his helmet and chair. Kaidan barely even noticed James crawl out, as he slide into the pilot's chair and began flicking the console's comm on.

Without the glow of Kaidan's biotics it was hard for James to tell the difference between the room he stood in and the insides of his eyelids. It was getting hard for him to keep it together. As every moment of silence passed, more dark thoughts began to slip into his mind and more trembles began to spread to his lips and hands. He stood alone in the emergency docking bay now. The static of a comm filled the room, as Kaidan attempted to inform Hackett of Anderson's death.

Clicking his flashlight attachment onto his assault rifle, James gripped it with white knuckles. He shined it on several different patches of rubble, before he began to creep around the vast room. He had never been in the Citadel Tower before. He had always tried to avoid all of it - the politics. Though before joining the Normandy he was never bothered with it, just instead handed a gun and a colony's name to protect.

Shifting his weight clumsily, he attempted to walk on his limping leg. "Agh." He grunted, but his voice seem to catch in his throat as he heard a familiar sound. A muffled gun shot pierced the air, followed by another, then another.

James's heart seemed to rise to his throat - Please be her gunshots. Plegue a dios. Scrambling forward, he attempted to pin point where the gun shots were coming from.

"What the hell is that?" Kaidan cried, crawling out of the shuttle.

"Gun shots!" James shouted, his voice husky. His ears were perked up, eyes scanning frantically. It seemed like who ever was firing was using their entire clip, and fast.

Suddenly from the corner of his eye, James saw a warm glow pour in from behind him. Cranking his neck, he watched as an explosion of fire stretched over the glass ceiling before it abruptly cracked - sending shards of glass down like rain. His armored shoulders moved up over his head, attempting to cover his bare face. A sound escaped him as he was aggressively pressed to the floor, his forehead and nose crumbling under the force.

But it wasn't the explosion that had knocked him down. Squinting James saw an aura of blue swallowing him whole. At it's center stood Kaidan, arms stretched high above his head, face contorted in pure concentration. James watched in awe as the shards of glass and rubble falling from the ceiling deflected off of the barrier, falling and shattering onto the ground behind them. But his open mouth quickly moved from wonder to horror as a large dark object began to crash through the remaining ramp. Scrambling up, James's armor screeched as the metal scraped the concrete floor.

A shout ripped from his lungs again as he was suddenly lifted off of the ground and thrown helplessly against a broken column, landing awkwardly on his leg. His grunt was muffled by the overpowering sound of the falling object finally crashing. Dust filled the air, but it was plain to see that it was a large slab of concrete that had most likely been used as a pathway or sidewalk.

Blinking at the dust from the rubble, James fumbled for his assault rifle. He found it under a mound of rubble that the flashlight had been shining through dully. "Kaidan?" His breath was heavy and shallow. "Kaidan?" He asked again, his voice a little more frantic.

A cough came from across the room, echoing loudly against the walls. "Yeah, yeah. I'm ok." There was the sound of clanking metal against metal then a glow of lights poured out of the hammerhead, making it seem like a beacon in the distance. "You?"

James hesitated. "Yeah. I'm okay." He lied through gritted teeth. He felt a warm sensation trickling down his face. Licking his lips he tasted it. Blood.

A cascade of rubble caught James's eyes from the half broken path. A part of it laid on the ground, already lost in the piles of rubble that sat here before. But the other half was caught on the frame of the ceiling, making an awkward angle and deep drop to the floor. The cascade of rubble was coming from the side, making a tiny pile onto the ground below. A feeling began to develop in the pit of James's stomach, as he reached for his rifle to shine some light onto the almost ramp that had formed.

His breath was a wheeze now, hissing through his clenched teeth. Blood was still trickling down his nose, warming his lips. Fatigue seemed to have suddenly hit him like a punch to the face, making him move at a sluggish pace up the ramp. But James ignored it all - the blood, his leg screaming in agony, his shortened breath. "Que dios me ayude." He whispered to himself, over and over, his eyes darting in the darkness for any sign of her - anything.

Painfully drawing in another breath, James stopped himself short. He watched as another cascade of rubble came rolling down, some of them clanking against his boot. But he took no notice. A glimmer of shiny black had caught his eye, making his heart falter. He knew what it was, he knew it anywhere. It was what he was looking for constantly during missions, his eyes never moving from it. Throwing his assault rifle to the side, James scrambled forward before falling to his knees. His hands reached for his face first - his fingers running through his hair, his palm tugging his eyebrow up.

Swallowing hard, his finally placed his hands onto Shepard's armor. It was cracked, and covered in scorch marks turning some of the shiny material dull. Her right arm was completely exposed, and blood was trickling out of a long gash up her forearm. James ran his hands up her chest piece, feeling it bend and dent in awkward places that made his stomach whirl. His breath caught in his throat as his hands stopped short of her face.

Her eyes were closed. Eyelashes brushing her cheeks, hair stuck to her forehead in a mixture of dried blood and cold sweat. A road rash was littered across the left side of her face, with little pinpricks of blood coming out. But she was not moving. Her lips didn't purse, or eyes flutter.

James stared blankly down at the rubble, blinking. He felt his chest starting to cave in - overpowering any of the pain he felt in his leg as he knelt down. "Shep-" His voice cracked. "Fuck!" His hand clenched into a fist, as his voice echoed off of the bare walls. In the distance he heard Kaidan call out, but James ignored it. Gritting his teeth, James let out a sound before he placed his bare forehead to hers. "Kayla." Her name on his lips was a croak. He felt like a seventeen year old again sitting on the beach with his Uncle in San Diego. His heart stuck in his throat, knuckles white, trying to keep it together.

A soft flutter brushed across his cheeks, causing his eyes to flicker open. Through his lashes he could see a blur of blue. A sound escaped James as he moved his head back. One of her eyes was fluttering open, her lips slowly opening. "Kayla?" His hands grabbed the side of her face gently. A raspy gasp tore ripped out of Kayla, her armored fingers curling into a fist.

James felt his heart start pounding in his chest as he pulled her gently onto his lap. His fingers fumbled as he tried to activate his omni-tool. But it merely gave a hiss, before powering down. "Shit!" He watched as her eyes started to slowly close again, her head dipping back farther into his lap. Panic tore through James, tightening his chest. Scooping her up, he gritted his teeth as he stood up - his leg shaking underneath him.

He was breathless as he began walking down the ramp, limping towards the hammerhead. But Kayla's limp head hanging over his arms was enough motivation to overcome the searing pain. His eyes were on her as he limped them to the vehicle, merely stepping over the mounds of rubble and glass in the dark.

"Kaidan!" James cried out, his voice echoed in the room. Suddenly the dome light from the hammerhead was casted on him, the room now erupting in light. There was a crunch of footsteps, before Kaidan appeared in front of him. The Major stumbled forward, clearly exhausted.

"Oh my god." Kaidan's eyes scanned Kayla over quickly. His lips pursed together as he calculated. "Here let me, um." His breath quickened, and he blinked fast. "Get her inside." Turning on his heels, Kaidan darted back into the hammerhead.

Grunting, James stepped into the vehicle. The lights inside were blaring compared to the darkness outside, and there was a steady hum that made James' ears ring. Kneeling down, he placed Kayla onto the ground carefully - gently bracing her head from the hard metal with his hand. His hands started shaking now that he could see her clearly. Blood was now slowly seeping from out of her armor, pooling onto the floor. Stretching his arm forward, James reached for the med kit next to the evac door. He threw it open, rummaging through it until he found the portable v. reading. Powering it on, he sat it right next to her chest. James eyed it before glancing to Kaidan.  
He was sitting in the pilot's chair - his hands wildly moving over the console as he multitasked. While waiting for the engine's to come online, he was still attempting to come in contact with anyone. "Come on!" Kaidan yelled, grabbing his face in his hands. A small beep sounded after him, causing both men to turn their attention towards the small device sitting next to Shepard. They watched the tiny screen. There was a white strobe light, flashing at a sluggish pace. It represented Kayla's heartbeat.

"We need to get her out of her." Kaidan said, mostly to himself. Flicking a few switches on the console with his fingertips, he began to force start the hammerhead before reversing it out of the collapsing docking bay.

James was now ripping open medi gel packets with his teeth, applying them onto any place that was exposed on Kayla. He was so tempted to rip off her armor, find the source of the bleeding and check her vitals more successfully. But he knew that could be catastrophic. The only thing keeping his leg from breaking fully was his armor tightening around it - keeping it in place. But still he moved his hands gently across her chest and arms, concentrating as hard as he can to not pass out or cry out in terror.

The stars were a blur of white as the hammerhead began zooming closer and closer to London. James' attention was caught by the glimmer of reflection from the window, causing him to stare at it for a moment. He could see himself - blood staining the bottom half of his face, dirt and sweat covering his forehead, his eyes were wide like a deer's in headlights. And next to him, was Kayla's crumbled body - her arm twisted, hair sprawled out beside her, the ends of it falling into the small pool of blood forming just under her.

But suddenly, a glow was casted upon the image - turning everything red. His eyebrows pushed together, forming a wrinkle as he watched what seemed like a huge force field near them at a quick speed. "Kaidan?" James croaked moments before they were engulfed by it. The force of the red force field shook the hammerhead, causing James and Kayla to be sent sliding over to a corner of it. James grabbed onto Kayla, wrapping himself around her giving her unconscious body, giving it protection.

The sudden push caused Kaidan to lose control of the vehicle, making him let out a gasp. "Oh fuck. Brace for impa-." He didn't finish his sentence before they suddenly crashed into the corner of a half-destructed concrete skyscraper in downtown London.

The impact caused James to be thrown once again, this time up against the roof of the hammerhead. His head hit the hard metal, before he came crashing back down onto the ground. But he kept his body and arms curled around Kayla, swallowing her whole into his huge, muscular body. As he laid on the ground, the ringing was still clear in his ear. As was the sensation of hot liquid pouring over his lips again, and the tickle of Kayla's hair on his stubble. He tasted the blood in his mouth, before darkness devoured his vision.


End file.
